The First Few Outings - the start of our Learning Curve!

Our first few outings were done nearby our hometown of Cloverdale, BC. We drove a few miles south to the USA border and kept to the Pacific Northwest. One of the reasons that we had picked "The Navion" was so that I could  drive it. Being a Transit Bus Driver, Dale had no problems - he could drive and park anything but I wanted something I could handle alone. In fact, the very first outing was done by me alone because Dale had to work.
There is no problem with me handling "The Navion". It is built on a Dodge Sprinter chassis and can be parked in a regular parking stall at any shopping centre. It is slightly narrower than my parents dual-wheeled Pick-up Truck!

One of the first lessons we did learn the hard way however, is to pull in the drivers side mirror when parking on a narrow street. A truck went by and clipped ours breaking it - and there was a cost of $649 to replace it (It's a Mercedes you know - something you'll hear often for parts and repairs)!

Fold up your mirrors or pay the price!

It may seem like the mirrors don't move but they do pull in - a little stiffly but "Click" three times until they're flush with the window - both driver and passenger side.


One of the first modifications we did was to insulate the cooler. Not all models come with this option but ours did. Right beside the main door is a pull out drawer. Open the lid and inside is a plastic bin with  drain hole. It is great for keeping drinks cool on ice or if you're a fisherman - your catch. We found however that a bag of ice doesn't last the day so we fixed that problem.

Fully Insulated and Duct Taped

We went to our local hardware store, bought a sheet of thick styrofoam insulation, cut it to fit the sides and bottom of the "cooler", glued them in place (Leaving a hole for the drain plug) and then wrapped Duct tape around it all to protect from the elements. We now find that one block and two bags of ice will keep things cold for 2 to 4 days depending on the temperature and how many opening and closings of the drawer there are.

New bed base with new mattress on it and still lots of storage underneath.

The next modification was to the rear bed. In our model the very large rear storage compartment opens up into the back bed and the bed can fold up to accommodate large items such as a bike or set of golf clubs. Unfortunately, there is a metal bar on that side to give it strength and even with a mattress topper it is very uncomfortable on that side of the bed (which happens to be mine!). Not planning on carrying any large items in that compartment we chose to make a plywood platform there. We then took both halves of the folding mattress to an upholstery shop and had new sturdy mattresses with memory foam topper made to fit into the existing covers - goodbye metal bar digging into my hipbone! The bed is very comfortable now.